"What on earth happened to your face?" Verna went straight to the refrigerator and got an ice pack. "What was all the shouting about and breaking glass?"

I flopped down and pressed the pack against my jaw.

"Could I get some of this loose in a glass with vodka? I was ambushed."

"What do you mean?"

Two refills and a fresh ice pack later Verna was sitting staring at me with disbelieving eyes. She let the necklace slide over her hand in silent wonder.

"It's so beautiful!"

"Yeah, not bad for little over a million bucks."

Her eyes grew wider. "A million . . ."

"Try it on. See how that much money around your neck feels."

"No." She handed it back. I guessed the killing attached to it wasn't that attractive.

"Are you going to the police?"

"What! No. What for?"

"That Carlos man! You said they were going to send him fishing."

"No police. The Smythe-Fryes and or the Druids would have what's left of me for a throw rug."

She tilted my face to the side and examined the swelling.

"It's calmed a bit. The bruise I can hide with some concealer if you want." She sat back and looked at me. "Hart, I think you are making a big mistake. What difference does it make to you how this family resolves its personal problems?"

"Well the upfront payment of two large retainers for one."

"But you solved it. Just tell Bennett what'shisname what you found and call it closed."

"I think the uh, Druids would find that option unacceptable."

"Then go to the police, Hart!" She sucked her teeth and stood up from the sofa. "Honestly, what is it that you think you can do?"

She was right. Give Bennett the necklace and let the cops deal with the Druids and the Smythe-Frye family meltdown. They were already involved because of Rodney. Still . . .

"I know that look, Hart. You're going ahead with your Wizard of Oz hat on thinking you can save the world."

"Who?"

"Oh never mind. The point is, you aren't going to the police are you?"

"I can't, Vern. Sorry."

A huge sigh, a 'what's the use' body language demonstration and she sat down again, digging in her purse for her concealer.

"I'll do this then I have to go."

"You don't need-"

"Quiet. You can't go visiting clients looking like that." She began my repairs ignoring the protest.

"I wanted to thank you for driving, Verna. I shouldn't have involved you at all."

"Hold still or it'll be in your mouth. There. Okay, I'm off to work. Please don't do anything else stupid."

"Are you calling me stupid or anything else you don't want me to do?"

"Dwell on it, Hart. Bye." She left with a tiny wave and a grim smile.

********

The call to James Cord pretty well put paid to the case. He told me he asked his source at the insurance company to quietly drop the money request, since they couldn't get the necklace from a dead Luther, and they would let Bennett try and make a claim through normal channels.

"What about you and Deborah?"

"What about us? I don't understand."

"Bennett knows, James and I didn't tell him." Not entirely true but he was suspicious. The silence went on a little longer than I might have expected. "James?"

"How?" It was a croak.

"He guessed and then told me to find corroborating evidence."

"You- you said-"

"I haven't said anything. I don't have physical evidence, James but like him I knew too. I wasn't like the secret of the Incas."

"What are you going to do?"

That was a question as expensive as the necklace, which was in my possession and now burning a hole in my pocket.

"Is there any chance you could raise five grand fast?"

"What for?"

"To put an end to this hide the necklace scenario. I can get it back but it will cost five thousand dollars."

"How- where do you- who has it?"

"Some very nasty people who actually supplied Luther and who don't want to waste time answering questions. This is an opportunity to begin appeasing Bennett. How you handle it is your problem but if you want the necklace now, I need five thousand dollars."

I waited patiently while James considered his position. My own wasn't that great. I could give Tattoo back the necklace and hope he didn't waste me for my trouble. I could give it to Bennett and tell the whole story to the police, getting myself in very hot water for trying to deceive my client, or I could get the money from James and Bob's your uncle.

"You can pick up a cheque at my office."

"No I can't. It has to be cash. C'mon James, you're going to make out a cheque to me for stolen jewellery. . . I don't think so."

"I'll meet you- where can we meet? Someplace inconspicuous."

"When?"

"An hour?"

"Good. A diner called Harry's over on Melrose near Adelaide."

"I'll find it. One hour."

*******

"He didn't look much like a scary biker to me." Verna refilled my coffee up and scooped up the money James had left for his.

"That's because he wasn't. That was the Smythe-Frye lawyer, James Cord. The scary bikers are who I'm going to meet now."

"Is that-?"

"Shhh, yes. Five grand in cash. Listen, I need another favour."

"I'm working, Hart and I'm not driving you anywhere."

"I don't want you to drive me anywhere, I want you to hang onto this until I get back." I handed her an envelope containing the necklace.

"What if you don't get back?"

Her expression was totally serious and completely without concern other than what she should do in the event.

"Please, save the adulation." Her face didn't change. "Okay, if I don't get back, take this to Bennett Smythe-Frye, tell him I found it and the case is closed."

"And the bit about his wife's infidelity?"

"Just say, if he asks that you don't know anything about anything else. Let the family fight that one out."

I slid out of the booth and smiled my charmer's smile. "Don't worry about me, Verna. I'll be back for my dinner of Thai Shrimp."

"Lunch. Harry only has that on the lunch menu, after four it changes to the dinner menu and Thai Shrimp are not on that."

"Well, you could put in a wor-"

"I'm already doing you a favour, Hart. I work for Harry, not you."

"Is it something I said?"

"Just go and do your deal."

As she turned away I caught the shine of a tear in those amazing eyes. Was there more to Verna's feelings than that outer crust? I left the diner thinking that as a detective I wasn't much of one when it came to relationships.

********

Stringbean led me into the room behind the counter where Tattoo was sitting at a table, which was nice because I could look down instead of up. Along the wall beside me Nose Ring and a couple of clones slouched.

"Well?"

"As promised." I dropped the envelope of money on the table.

He took it out and thumbed through the wad of hundred dollar bills. "That was easy."

My little P.I. first alert sounded in my head. His tone sounded too suspicious.

"Not really. The client wanted to call the police since I knew who had the necklace. It took some fancy footwork to get him to back down and do this deal." I shrugged, looked around and asked if that was it. If we were all good.

Tattoo stuffed the bills back in the envelope and looked at me. First alert getting louder.

"Who's your client?"

The air in the room changed; at least it felt like it did. "I told you, that's privileged." Nose Ring scoffed and his clones copied. "You guys have rules you expect to be honoured, well so do P.I.s. This is one of ours. Besides, you got what we agreed on . . . actually you got the high end of what I guessed at."

"And what did you get?"

"I charge three hundred a day plus expenses. That's my fee. Clients agree or don't, their choice."

Tattoo took three bills from the envelope and pushed them across the table.

"I'm hiring you to tell me the name of your client. You got twenty four hours."

"What! Hold on, that's not going to hap-"

What did happen was Nose Ring and company stuffed the bills in my jacket pocket, lifted me under the arms and carried me through the bowling alley to the street with a salutary reminder of the time period.

********

James was back at the diner as we had agreed, looking very nervous and impatient. I spoke to Verna, got the envelope and joined him in the booth.

"Here it is, safe and sound."

He slid the necklace out and quickly put it back, looking at me questioningly.

"What?"

"That's it then? Nothing more to discuss?"

"Nope. I will tell Bennett I could not find any physical proof about you and Deborah and you can sort out the necklace business with the family." No point worrying him about the bikers. "That will end my association with this case."

Verna slid into the booth after James left. "So, everything okay now?"

I couldn't lie to those eyes . . . nobody could lie to those eyes.

"There might be a loose end or two . . ."